Question re my friends new fish?????

First topic message reminder :

my girlfriend had a 5.5 tank set up as folk know from a previous post
she had a female Betta on her own for approx 4-5 days
then added one guppy and 2 glowlite tetras...
she has purchased 2 more tanks
also 1 more guppy and 3 more tetras....
both new tanks are set up with seeded media and she has moved the original guppy into her new tank and the origianl tetras into their new tank
now has added the "new fish" and tells me the originals are chasing or bullying the other fish...she says the newcomers are staying on one side and the originals are swimming about looking quite delighted with themselves
any thoughts from anyone
is this perhaps normal pecking order that is happening?
thnx so much in advance!
she did tell me their is one tank where the bullying appears to be more noticeable I just can't seem to recall which one she said though...I think she may have said the tetras...hope this all makes some sense....

I'll be a little controversial - I think both are snake oil. They may be a mild antibacterial for skin or external problems, and they might help a tiny bit if the fish is not already sick but an external pathogen is present - but we're talking an internal bacterial problem, and clean water is probably as good a medication as the almost homeopathic concentrations of meds in those two expensive perfumes.

thnx \Garry
I will tell her stop with med's
she has already done a big water change this am....
alex should she call u for more fish?

goldfishbetalover

I have at least a dozen juvenile hybrid endlers I can send (free of charge). The shipping is what I ask that be paid. As this is not the best time of year to ship, and I will need to put 40h heat packs and use styrofoam which will increase the shipping costs. Canada Post Priority is next day delivery running at $46 tax included...

Now you know why I went to the US to personally get my livebearers...

oh my how very interesting
I will mention this to her and have a peak on google at these fish
what size tank do they need then? at least a 10?
thanks so much!

If she has pet shop fish that survived in the tank (she didn't lose them all, right?) then she has fish that have survived serious exposure to diseases. The larger Asian fish farms (the source of inexpensive fish so loved by cost conscious stores) are crowded and put the fish into contact with all sorts of pathogens. It's unavoidable in the factory like production and cost saving crowding. It kills a lot of them, but the survivors have antibodies galore.

Properly and carefully raised hobbyist bred, or wild fish, do not have the same immunities. The pathogens a Singapore or Thai guppy grew up with and shrug off are brand new to a pedigree Endler's - I'd be cautious about combining them.

In my 38 aquariums, I have some pet shop licorice gouramies, some farm bred pencilfish and two North American minnows from a large pet shop. Everything else comes from breeders like Alex, and that's a big reason for whatever success I have. I quarantine all pet shop purchases (out of contact with my other fish) for six months minimum, and sometimes never combine them with home bred or wild fish. Pet shop fish go with pet shop fish here. If you take a healthy fish from a farm and put it with a healthy fish from a breeder, there's a 50/50 chance the latter will be dead within 2-3 weeks, in my experience.

Since Alex is offering to give away his excellent and valuable fish, I don't think I'm undercutting him by saying this... I'd wait til Spring - and if those pet shop fish are fine and someone were to offer me pedigree Endler's, I'd go for it.

got it!!!!!...
thanks so much!!!!!

Very true Gary
No undercut taken. I do have some soon-to-be Picotee livebearers with your name (GaryE) on it though ... (spring)

hi again Garry!
I should have added there is just one guppy...a female...she had just her and then bought the larger tank and one more guppy...the 2nd guppy was the one who was sick...hope this makes sense....
thanks so much for your help
and thank you Alex!
I am going to bring her up to date re all this info this morning....
if the endlers though may I ask please were in their own tank until spring this would work...or should she simply wait until spring?

goldfishbetalover wrote:if the endlers though may I ask please were in their own tank until spring this would work...or should she simply wait until spring?

The Endlers are hybrids, which means that they are throwing either scarlet red or japan blue or a mix. They are by definition not pure Poecilia wingei as a strain of Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) had been introduced in order to achieve the Japan Blue shine. The majority of the lineage is Endler (P wingei). I am culling a large portion of this Endler stock that I am keeping, that is why I am not selling but giving away.

I have a few Class N Endlers that I want to move out as well. These are the high end versions that are strictly documented for lineage, you can google Orchid Endler as see what they look like.

I have many juveniles so they will ship well though this is as late as I would go (for shipping) and I would be hesitant to ship in mid-December even with one day shipping and heat packs. Well, you know how to get a hold of me. I am seeking new livebearers all the time, so you never know what I will be keeping but I will always have Endlers.

How kind of you Alex to make this offer   It really is a better feeling knowing that fishies are coming from another hobbyist and/or breeder....

goldfishbetalover, if it were me, I'd wait until Spring - it is cold out there now, and you just never know what could go wrong enroute

oh my
yes Alex this is overly kind of you....truly....
will continue to reflect on this end
again thank you so much!